Cetaphil Optimal Hydration Eye Serum Versus Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Eye Cream

Cetaphil Optimal Hydration Eye Serum Versus Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Eye Cream

This calming eye moisturizer is formulated around 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol and Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid to calm redness and hydrate skin.

This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Glycerin

1,2-Hexanediol

Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate

Distarch Phosphate

4-T-Butylcyclohexanol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Anhydroxylitol

Bisabolol

Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

Cetyl Alcohol

Citric Acid

Dunaliella Salina Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Globularia Alypum Leaf Extract

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Jojoba Esters

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Panthenol

Pantolactone

Pentylene Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax

Polyisobutene

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Sodium Benzoate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium PCA

Sorbitan Oleate

Tocopherol

Xylitol

Xylitylglucoside

Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Distarch Phosphate, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Anhydroxylitol, Bisabolol, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Cetyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Globularia Alypum Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Jojoba Esters, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Panthenol, Pantolactone, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Polyisobutene, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium PCA, Sorbitan Oleate, Tocopherol, Xylitol, Xylitylglucoside

Dimethicone

Niacinamide

Propylene Glycol

Butylene Glycol

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Hydroxyacetophenone

Dimethiconol

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Polysorbate 20

Laureth-4

Laureth-7

Disodium EDTA

Tapioca Starch

Polyacrylamide

Aminomethyl Propanol

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Ascorbic Acid

Avena Sativa Peptide

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dimethiconol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Polysorbate 20, Laureth-4, Laureth-7, Disodium EDTA, Tapioca Starch, Polyacrylamide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Phenoxyethanol, Ascorbic Acid, Avena Sativa Peptide

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.

As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.

It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.

A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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